Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Pardon My Swooning

In April, or even June, Marisnick was a good story as the ultra-toolsy player who was finally translating his athletic ability to on-field ability. Now he's not just some work in progress—he's been the best position prospect in the Midwest League this year, batting .323/.396/.500 after a seven-hit weekend that included three doubles and a home run

...he's one of the few prospects out there for whom the term “five-tool player” doesn't sound like a misused cliché.

Keeping an eye on Marisnick's progress this season, you can officially count me as "in the tank" for Rocco 2.0. There is a lot of distance between him and the big leagues but, in my mind at least, he takes over for Jose Bautista in right field at some point.

And now, because there isn't enough of this to fill the internet three times over, a little Brett Lawrie fawning.

This wasn't really a pivotal at bat, a pretty run-of-the-mill encounter between Brett Lawrie and Wade Davis. Lawrie ended up singling on a soft flare to center field.

It does, however, confirm everything I believe and hold dear about Brett Lawrie.

Lawrie took ball one high then fouled off a fastball on the outside edge. He then took a 1-1 fastball inside for ball two. The next pitch, for me, is the difference maker.

2-1 count, many hitters have "giddyup" in the minds. Considering Full Tilt Lawrie lives his life at "giddyup" speed, it is easy to assume he has bombs away at the front of his mind.

Nope. Lawrie gets a fastball just off the outside corner and he spits on it. Take. Wow.

Maybe I'm making too much out of it but it is this stuff that gets me so excited for Lawrie's potential. For his present as much as his future. He makes such good decisions at the plate I cannot process it in real time.

With the count 3-1, Lawrie gets a fastball on the inside half and gets after it. The fastball tails further inside but Lawrie muscles it into center for a single.

Inspiring stuff, to me anyway. Discipline for days and the physical strength to overcome a decent pitcher's pitch. The future, she is in good hands.

If the only the Jays could position their Triple AAA affiliate near Toronto...Oshawa sounds about right to me, I'm stoked to see all these kids play, but Vegas??? C'mon man!!! (I know they don't want to be in Vegas either...moot point).

Lawrie is not concerned about hitting with 2 strikes. A lot of hitters go into panic mode when they have the second strike on them. Its very promising to see a hitter with excellent plate vision, who makes adjustments pitch to pitch, and doesn't sell out to swinging at anything just because he's way ahead or way behind in the count. Its what Cito and Murphy talk about. 'Having a plan.' and executing it properly hinges on swinging at the right pitch in the right count. Without good discipline, and judgement of which pitch is actually coming, you look like Rajai, Lind or Hill.